Different Roads
by qwaszxedc9
Summary: (COMPLETE) ... sometimes lead to the same castle. Based on bleach episode 260, during the Sword Fiends arc. "I am who I am, I end lives." Kazeshini had proclaimed that. Shuuhei and his Zanpakuto have a very rocky relationship. This is how they would have resolved their differences if the episode was actually longer. My take on the Zanpakuto Kazeshini. Slight AU. One-shot.


**Yo! Qwaszxedc9 here! XD**

 **This bleach fanfic was actually written out months ago, after watching episode 260 with Kazeshini and the cute little baby. Honestly, I think there is so much potential for Kazeshini. He's kinda one of my favourite Zanpakuto after watching the Zanpakuto rebellion arc. Watching that episode made me feel really unfulfilled. Then, I tried looking for more here, but there was really little.**

 **So I wrote my own.**

 **This is directly related to episode 260, so to understand this, you will have to watch that first. (I thought that the singing at the back during the fight was stupid though.)**

 **ENJOY!**

* * *

 **Different Roads**

 _ **Different roads sometimes lead to the same castle. -George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones**_

 **Based on bleach episode 260, during the Sword Fiends arc.**

 **"I am who I am, I end lives." Kazeshini had proclaimed that. Shuuhei and his Zanpakuto have a very rocky relationship. This is how they would have resolved their differences if the episode was actually longer. My take on the Zanpakuto Kazeshini.**

 **One-shot**

* * *

"Until you face me head on, I will not finish the fight." Shuuhei said, before turning on his heel and marching off. Kazeshini growled at him, ripping his clothing away from the beams of light energy pinning him to the tree.

"If you don't finish the fight," Kazeshini said, lifting his weapon. "I'll start attacking those pathetic citizens you're so keen to protect!"

"If you dare," Shuuhei paused his movements, before continuing forward, not looking back. "I'll destroy the Zanpakuto Kazeshini. It doesn't matter if I'll never wield another Zanpakuto again."

With that, Shuuhei flash stepped toward the nearest district, ignoring the yells coming from his Zanpakuto behind him. Kazeshini glared at the area Shuuhei was previously, swinging his blades around as he grumbled.

He wasn't really interested in attacking citizens. They weren't interesting.

Kicking the ground idly, he turned toward the area Shuuhei was headed towards, before sprinting off in that direction. He'll watch for another perfect opportunity, then attack.

* * *

Somehow, a baby came into the picture.

* * *

"Wabisuke?" Kira raised his eyebrow, glancing at his Zanpakuto's sudden appearance. At the same time, he spotted another Zanpakuto arriving. "Haineko? What are doing here?"

"Kira-kun! You'll never believe what we saw!" Haineko guffawed, one hand clutching onto her stomach and another hand on Kira's shoulder. Wabisuke nodded slightly, turning to face them. Kira raised his eyebrow.

"What did you see?" Kira asked, curious.

"Kazeshini's babysitting!" Haineko burst out, snickering.

Kira's eyes widened at her, turning to Wabisuke, who nodded in confirmation. "A gloomy baby..."

"You're one to talk." Haineko said, finally calming down enough to speak. Kira shook his head, taking a step forward. Kazeshini's bloodlust near a baby? That was disaster in the making!

"Where is he now? Whose baby is it? What happened to it?" Kira asked, frowning slightly. Haineko glanced back at him, before smiling at him.

"Don't worry, Kazeshini is actually doing a fine job. The baby's still alive." Haineko snorted. "Hozukimaru's watching him and the baby from a distance."

Kira sighed. At least the baby's fine. There was another crash followed by a shout. Kira gripped his sword, turning toward the sound. "Aright, please look after him. I have to go."

Haineko shrugged, then flash-stepped away, followed by Wabisuke.

* * *

"Hisagi-san, have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"All the Zanpakuto are talking about it. It's about your Zanpakuto, Hisagi-san."

* * *

"I have a question to ask." Shuuhei grunts, pushing his blades against Kazeshini's. "The baby, where is it?"

Kazeshini blinked, before grinning widely. "The baby? I reaped him!"

Shuuhei's eyes narrowed, growling slightly. Jerking his blades forward, he shoved Kazeshini back, slicing his weapon down in an angry arc.

"What? Don't believe me?" Kazeshini mocked, jumping out of range of the blades. Shuuhei did say that he would kill him if any harm befell the citizens of Rukongai. He wasn't sure what caused him to decide to lie, but he couldn't care much about it right now.

"No, I don't. Any soul borne of my own wouldn't murder a child in cold blood," Shuuhei growled, spinning his weapon forward. "Why are you lying?"

"Who says I'm lying? I thought you agreed-" Kazeshini blocked the blades, twirling his own around his fingers before holding the sharp blade at eye level. "-that this blade was made for reaping lives."

"Che."

* * *

"Oi." Shuuhei called out, making his Zanpakuto glance at him. "The baby, where is it?"

Kazeshini stared at him for awhile, slightly dissatisfied over his master's win and quite annoyed at the demanding tone he was using. He glanced back into the sky. "Baby? I reaped him."

There was a pause, followed by a rustle of clothing beside him.

"Bakudo 63. Sajou Sabaku." (Way of Binding 63, Locking Bondage Stripes)

Kazeshini startled as glowing yellow energy circled itself around him. His back wound clenched painfully as the energy wrapped his arms tightly to his body. Well, he did suspect a bad reaction from his master.

"What the hell?!" Kazeshini growled, pushing against the restrains. Shuuhei pulled his hand back from its outstretched position, bending down on one leg to glare at his troublesome, tied-up Zanpakuto.

"The baby, what did you do to it?" Shuuhei growled softly, hand clenching tightly around the hilt of his weapon. Kazeshini snorted, stopping his struggling. Well, he did know exactly what he did with the little brat. Who cared if Shuuhei couldn't believe what he said, even if it wasn't true?

"I said I reaped him." Kazeshini lied again, grinning madly. "He wouldn't stop crying, so I shut him up."

A blade smashed into the ground beside his face, glinting. "And I said I would kill you should you harm any citizen of Rukongai."

"Heh, do it then." Kazeshini replied, glancing up into the clouds. "Not like I care."

A person flash-stepped into existence beside him. Shuuhei was about to reply, but was interrupted by the sudden appearance beside him. "Kira-"

"Hisagi, you captured your Zanpakuto." Kira greeted, taking a step forward, a woman in his arms.

Shuuhei nodded with a raised eyebrow as Wabisuke flash-stepped beside him, a bawling baby in his arms. The baby struggled and screamed, tears flowing heavily down its cheeks. Kazeshini glanced at the source of the noise, eyes widening before turning away.

"Wha-"

"We found the baby-" Kira answered the unasked question, glancing at the baby in Wabisuke's arms before glancing at the woman, placing her gently on the ground. "-along with the new mother."

"The baby... is gloomy..." Wabisuke said, rocking the baby back and forth, trying and failing to calm his crying.

"A couple of the Zanpakuto took turns watching over the baby from a distance when they found it with Kazeshini." Kira explained, letting the woman rush over to the baby, taking him from Wabisuke and rocking him gently, before glancing up and spotting the tied-up Kazeshini on the ground, not facing them. She hurriedly rushed over, not noticing Shuuhei's widening eyes or Kira's arm reaching out to prevent Shuuhei from stopping her.

"Ah- Thank you for saving us!" The woman bowed, glancing worriedly at the glowing yellow energy binding him. Kazeshini growled, fingers twitching. Unknowingly, Shuuhei let go of the hilt of his sword, crossing both arms over his chest, smiling slightly.

From their reactions, he would pretty much tell what had gone on, and where those wounds on Kazeshini that he hadn't caused came from.

"Go away, woman! Take the baby and leave already!" Kazeshini struggled in his bindings, turning to face them. There was no way to tell if he was embarrassed or not, but he did seem like it.

* * *

"Do you really hate the form of my Zanpakuto that much?" Kazeshini asked, laying across the couch of the Vice-captain's office, where Shuuhei was busy doing paperwork and Kazeshini was just lazing around. The brush on the table stopped moving, and Shuuhei glanced up.

"You know the answer to that." Shuuhei answered, his eyes landing on his Zanpakuto' dark form on the couch.

"Yeah, I do." Kazeshini agreed, sounding extremely uncomfortable with the conversation, and increasingly more reluctant. Shuuhei sensed something was not right.

"Why do you ask?" Shuuhei questioned, placing his brush onto the stand and standing up slowly. The Zanpakuto just shrugged.

"Just something that Ruriiro Kujaku told me." Kazeshini said, getting off the couch. He glowed before returning into Shuuhei's Zanpakuto.

 _'Release my shikai, but call out the name Kageshini.'_ Kazeshini said in his mind.

Shuuhei blinked then raised an eyebrow. "Shadow of death? Why?"

 _'Just do it! I wanna try something.'_

Shuuhei blinked, then shrugged and did as he was told. "Reap, Kageshini."

Nothing happened.

 _'Huh.'_

"What were you-"

 _'Wait, wait, let me think.'_ Shuuhei could sense Kazeshini thinking really hard, before he heard a snap of fingers.

 _'Oh, try some other release command instead!'_ Shuuhei could feel his Zanpakuto becoming excited, so he sighed before thinking for a while, then trying again.

"Sow, Kageshini"

His Zanpakuto glowed before transforming into his shikai, though this time with noticeable differences. The black chains and handles were there, but the blades were missing.

 _'I was right! Yes!'_ Kazeshini cheered in his head as Shuuhei examined his blade-less weapons wide-eyed.

"What happened?" He asked, nudging his Zanpakuto in his head. Kazeshini materialized into the real world, grinning widely.

"Ruriiro Kujaku said that a partial release was possible with the wrong name." Kazeshini answered, pointing at the blade-less weapons in Shuuhei's hands. "Now this Zanpakuto doesn't reap lives anymore, so you can release it more!"

Shuuhei blinked again. His Zanpakuto went to find him a way to change the shape of his weapon, just so that he would use it more? That was... nice of him.

"Thank you." Shuuhei gave his Zanpakuto a small smile, causing him to curse and look away.

"Yeah, whatever. Just use me more already."

* * *

 **Honestly, if Yumichika could find a way to change his Zanpakuto's appearance, I don't see why Hisagi couldn't do the same thing, if he hated how Kazeshini looked to the extent that he refused to release. I know that he also fears his blade since that's what Tosen taught him. But, seriously, he should think about his own Zanpakuto too. No one really likes to be feared that much (at least very little people). Plus Tosen is a shitty traitor! That should at least cause him to think about his teachings!**

* * *

 **Reviews are like cookies**

 **They taste good,**

 **feel good,**

 **make you addicted to them**

 **and encourage you to work faster.**


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